Do you think I care for you so little?
by DeadlyFandoms
Summary: (Set just after Flatline - Instagram prompt) When Clara steps into the TARDIS and finds the Doctor is sick, she decideds to take care of him, and some secrets are revealed. Sickfic. ( Whouffaldi / Clara and The Doctor) [COMPLETE]


**Authors Notes: **Hi! This is my second Whouffaldi fanfiction! Woo!  
>I thought that since we still have to wait until Christmas for the next little instalment of Doctor Who I might as well write this instead of revising for my exams!<br>I would like to thank soufflesandsociopaths (Instagram) for the idea - and lets hope she won't be attacking me with Whouffaldi feels anymore! ;)  
>I really hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you think! :D<p>

**Do you think I care for you so little?**

As Clara stepped into the TARDIS with a stride of joy she was instantly stopped in her tracks when she found the Doctor leaning over the TARDIS consol - his head resting in his arms. She took a scared step closer. Then another. And another.  
>"Doctor?" She questioned with a wobbly tone.<p>

The doctor responded by lifting his head up, coughing as he performed the movement that he was so desperately reluctant to do. His usual intense eyes were now red and puffy - like he'd been crying. His skin was ghostly pale and his looked back at Clara with a look of pain, a cry for help. Clara rushed towards him and put a hand on his shoulder, he didn't tense like he used to.  
>"Doctor what on earth is the matter with you?" She asked frantically as her eyes darted across his body. She only got a grunt for an answer, followed by a few chesty coughs that made her wrinkle up her features. She couldn't stand hearing the Doctor in this sort of pain. "Doctor do you know what's wrong with you?" Clara asked again.<p>

"Of course I don't know Clara!" He replied, his Scottish voice was now hoarse and rough. Clara cringed again as the Doctor let out several more coughs.

"Doctor you can't travel like this." Clara reasoned.

"Don't be….ridiculous Clara…I'm perfectly alright."

"Doctor you're coughing, panting and can barely stand." He didn't respond, he just leant back down against the TARDIS - which began to make a kind of mechanical whimpering noise that only calmed when the Doctor ran his index finger across the console. Clara leant gently by his ear - her hand still on his shoulder and spoke softly to him, "I want to take you to bed."

"Excuse me?!" the doctor exclaimed as best as he could.

"I think it would be best if I take you to your room…so you can get some rest."

"Oh…Clara I really don't think…that it's necessary."

"I don't think you have any choice in the matter." Clara told him matter-of-factly. The doctor groaned at her. She lead his tenderly through the acres of space within the TARDIS, stepping as slowly as he wanted. Every step that the Doctor took seemed more and more painful, like it was making his head spin into a complete daze and he gripped her arm for support. Clara pushed open the door to the Doctor's bedroom and fumbled in the dm lighting.

"Doctor, no matter how much you disagree with this I want you to rest until you begin to feel better, and know lying because I'll be able to tell, okay?"

"Yes mother." He replied sarcastically - but weakly.

"Less of the sarcasm please Doctor." The Doctor groaned again, this time out of pain. He slipped of his shoes and jacket and rolled underneath the duvet of his bed - never breaking Clara's eye contact. He buried himself underneath the blankets and faced Clara who was now sat on the floor by his head.

"You don't have to stay." He mumbled.

"I want to." She said simply. She gently caressed the Doctor's forehead with her fingers and she could feel him relax slightly from her touch. She had to admit that when she stepped into his blue box she never expected to end up nursing her time-travelling idiot, and as much as she hated seeing him in any kind of pain she almost…liked it? It's not like she'd rather be doing this than exploring time and space, not at all but she cared for the doctor and there had been very few chances for them to be close.

Clara would probably go as far as to say that she loved the Doctor. She was not discouraged by his new body, after all, he'd always been an inhuman age. But the Doctor had shown her things that were beyond her wildest dreams, and throughout every problem and life or death moment she always trusted him. Always. And to be able to trust someone to those lengths requires and extremely strong and dramatic bond, one that could probably only be defined as love. So, Clara did love the Doctor and she wasn't prepared to deny that and she would never change her mind, regardless of whether he loved her back in 'that way'. She would always be is impossible girl.

Clara darling placed a kiss on the Doctors tender cheek and muttered the words, "Get well soon Doctor." Clara left the him to rest, leaving the door open just a crack, and headed for her own room - assuming that the TARDIS hadn't hidden it again. She didn't bother changing, she just wanted to try and rest herself, but no matter what position she put herself in worry always outweighed the possibility of sleep. She just lay there, thinking about her impossible man.

**XXX**

Clara found herself waking up the following morning, but not feeling in any way well rested. She launched herself off of her bed and she made her way out of her bedroom. When she returned to the TARDIS console she saw the Doctor searching through his numerous bookshelves.  
>"Looks like someone has made a speedy recovery." Clara called out, trying to sound and cheerful as she could.<p>

"Well, as reluctant as I am to admit it, it seems that your 'bed rest' treatment seems to have done me some good."

"Good, you're not overly pleasant when you're feeling under the weather."

"My aim is not to be pleasant Clara." He stated.

"Fair enough." She muttered. The Doctor turned away from his bookshelf and studied Clara with an alienated look of curiosity.

"What's the matter with you? -" He began, his Scottish voice echoing around the room, "- You don't look to good yourself."

"Thank you very much." Clara replied.

"I'm serious -" He walked down the stairs and stared at her - only inches from her face. His eyes were wide and fixed on her features, " - You look…you look…I don't know how you look but it's not right."

"It's because I hardly slept last night because I was worrying about you!"

"Well there's no need to worry about me." He said quickly.

"But I _do _worry about you Doctor, okay? I worry."  
>"Why? Worry is an emotion that just complicates things."<br>"I worry because I care about you Doctor." The Doctor froze and studied her again - from a distance this time.

"Really?" He questioned with nervous excitement.

"Yes, really."

"I suppose that explains a few things…" He muttered to himself.

"Like what?" Clara demanded kindly.

"Like last night."

"Last night? What? Putting you to bed?"

"After that." He stated. Clara looked at him with confusion. "Last night you kissed me." It's true, Clara had kissed him, not in the more traditional way but she had kissed his cheek. She blushed slightly as he moved towards her - his face stoic.

"I didn't think that you were awake."

"Surprise." He said childishly.

"Look Doctor I'm really sorry I just…I don't know, I -" The Doctor kissed her lips lightly and stopped her speech in an instant. They held themselves there for ages, just savouring the feel of each others lips. It felt like the walls they built between this level of closeness had collapsed because of a single touch. When the Doctor finally pulled away he looked down at her and said,

"I care for you too -" Then he smiled, "My impossible girl."

**XXX**

**Authors Notes: **I really hope you enjoyed that! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought of this fanfiction.  
>Feel free to send me any prompts or plot ideas! :D<p> 


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